Does your business need a fresh face? You may need to re-focus on what’s most important to ensure your business’s success. Or, maybe you’re looking to go in a new direction.
Either way, the result is the same: you’re ready for a rebrand. The rebranding process only works if you show up prepared. Here’s a step-by-step checklist to walk you through the rebranding process. Before you know it, you’ll have a whole new company and a fresh perspective.
Know Why You Want to Rebrand
If you’ve decided to rebrand your company, the first step is to understand why. Reflecting on this question will help guide you toward accomplishing your desired results.
A company rebrand may be necessary if you answer “yes” to any of these questions:
- Does your company need a new visual identity?
- Do you want to change your brand persona?
- Do you wish to change your brand to reflect better what your customers want?
- Do you want to update your name and logo for a fresh start?
Know What Type of Rebrand You Want
This is part of asking what type of rebrand you desire. The least intensive (and least expensive) type of rebrand is a brand refresh. Think of it as a personal makeover in terms of a new haircut or outfit. It’s still you, but a different; more defined you.
Here are two of the main types of rebrands.
1). Visual Rebrand
Think of visual rebrand like a new wardrobe. Your new brand has all the same elements of the old one, but you’ve revamped your visual identity. A lot of businesses think this merely means changing their logo; but the most successful visual rebrands are the ones that can create a new, compelling story into words.
2). Full Rebrand
When you think of a full rebrand, think of the catchphrase: new year, new you, new brand. It’s quirky, I know, but it’s an excellent way to remember it.
A full rebrand is usually reserved for when you want to reinvent your brand completely. This means drafting an entirely new name, new logo, new brand tone—the whole nine yards.
Whether you want to revitalize your business, stand out competitively, or move in new directions—a full rebrand is the way to go.
Plan for Results
Knowing your goal and the type of rebrand you’re looking to implement will allow you to plan for the results.
When rebranding, you should start with the end goal in mind, which means what you want your brand to look like once you complete the rebrand. While you don’t need to have a fully realized end result in mind, you do need to have a clear vision of what your rebrand will look like when it’s complete.
That way, you can layout a detailed plan of action beforehand keeping your vision in mind. For example, if you want to make your brand more relevant to urban young professional women in their 20s, think about what you’re going to change about your brand to achieve this.
Or, if your end goal is to target this group, consider how you will achieve this and ways you can measure your success along the way.
Notify Your Stakeholders
Once you have a vision and end goal in mind, it’s time to get everyone on board. Remember that every stakeholder involved in your business should be notified—and that isn’t limited to your boardroom or majority owners. Your partners, vendors, and clients should all know that a change is coming so they aren’t surprised.
Always try to establish good rapport and trust with your business partners as a professional courtesy. They have to decide that it’s still worth it for them to work with you—and it’s your job to direct them in the right direction.
Also, don’t forget that your employees are stakeholders too! They joined the company based on its old brand identity, focus areas, and ideals. And, if you want to keep your highest performers, you have to make them invested in the success of this rebrand.
Create a Timeline and Budget
After you have all of your key players in order, you’re ready to create a timeline and budget for your rebrand.
One of the biggest mistakes that companies make during a rebrand is failing to make a timeline early. Without a deadline and a set schedule, it’s easy to slack off and waste resources when planning your approach. To avoid any major pitfalls, pinpoint any significant milestones you wish to accomplish and set firm deadlines for when you want to achieve them.
While you’re at it, develop a budget for your rebrand as well. After all, you can’t rebrand on a budget if you don’t know what the budget is in the first place.
This is part of why you need to have your key players on board before you begin planning your budget and timeline. Your movers, shakers, and finance department can help you establish how much monetary legroom you have when it comes to the ideas you want to accomplish.
Create a System and Assign Ownership
When you establish your timeline and budget, make sure you take the time to create a system for your rebrand. Let’s be honest: a rebrand has a lot of moving parts. If you want to keep your rebrand moving in the right direction, it’s best to prepare for those moving parts before you launch the rebrand into motion.
To make this possible, break down goals into tasks and distribute those tasks amongst your team members. This is a great way to assign ownership of the rebrand and ensure that your team remains engaged and invested in the rebrand.
Once this is all completed, do yourself a favor and take a deep breath. You’re now ready to launch your rebrand!
Mastering the Rebranding Process, One Step at a Time
As you work your way through the rebranding process, remember that the process is equally as tiring as it is rewarding. It’s going to take a lot of work to turn your company in a new direction. But, in the end, your new and improved business will be something to be proud and excited about!
If you need help preparing for a rebrand, we can help. We know that when it comes to your business, knowing your brand and your customers is essential to success. Our team provides expert-level brand awareness services to help you offer better services to your customers every single day.
Want to find out more about how we can help? Use our contact page to start the conversation.